centurion mk3 Archives - Felix's Gaming Pages

Painting the Centurion Mk3 tanks

One of the Clash of Steel Starter Sets have been on my wants list ever since I found out about them at the beginning of the year. I ordered Operation Unthinkable boxed set containing the British and German tanks. There are 17 tanks in the box, of which four are the Centurion Tanks. They can be constructed as a range of variants.

The Centurion tank was one of the most successful post-war tank designs. It was introduced in 1945, just too late to see combat in the Second World War. However, it went on to serve in a number of conflicts, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Arab-Israeli wars. The Centurion was a well-balanced tank with a good mix of armament, armour, and mobility. It was armed with a 105mm rifled gun, which was capable of firing both high-explosive and armour-piercing rounds. The Centurion’s armour was also very effective, and it was able to withstand the fire of most enemy tanks. The tank was also highly mobile, and it was able to keep up with the latest advances in tank warfare.

For the first model I put together, I went with the Mk3. I did think about the Mk1 initially, but I did think I would initially model two Mk3 tanks and two Mk1 tanks, however in the end I decided I would model all four models as Mk3 Centurions. I modelled them with various variations though, including missing skirts.

The next step was a white undercoat.

I wanted to give the models some shadow, so I sprayed the underneath of the model with Army Painter Colour Primer: Angel Green.

Then the models were sprayed with Army Painter Army Green Spray. I wasn’t too happy with the result after the paint had dried, that I gave the models a second coat (in places) to ensure coverage across the models.

Next stage will be painting the tracks.

Constructing some more Centurion Mk3

For the first model I put together, I went with the Mk3.

I did think about the Mk1 initially, but I did think I would initially model two Mk3 tanks and two Mk1 tanks, however in the end I decided I would model all four models as Mk3 Centurions.

This is the GF9 finished model.

This is the sprue

There are various parts to the model, however it goes together very easily.

The finished models prior to a white undercoat. This model has damaged skirts.

This version has missing skirts and a commander figure.

This version has skirts.

Two of the tanks.

Constructing the Centurion Mk3

There are 17 tanks in the box, of which four are the Centurion Tanks. They can be constructed as a range of variants. For this model I went with the Mk3. I did think about the Mk1 initially, but I think I will model two Mk3 tanks and two Mk1 tanks.

This is the GF9 finished model.

This is the sprue

There are various parts to the model, however it goes together very easily.

The finished model prior to a white undercoat.

Centurion Mark 3

This Centurion Mark 3 was on display at the Tank Museum at Bovington. It is missing its side-skirts.

It has been painted as a tank that fought in the Korean War. The Centurion depicted, participated in a fiercely contested action defending a location called ‘The Hook’ against Chinese forces in Korea in May 1953.

The Centurion was a well-balanced tank with a good mix of armament, armour, and mobility. It was armed with a 105mm rifled gun, which was capable of firing both high-explosive and armour-piercing rounds. The Centurion’s armour was also very effective, and it was able to withstand the fire of most enemy tanks. The tank was also highly mobile, and it was able to keep up with the latest advances in tank warfare.

This Centurion Mark 3 was in fact the prototype Centurion Crocodile flame throwing tank; a type that never entered production.

Centurion Mark 3 Tank

This Centurion Mark 3 Tank was on display at RAF Cosford.

The Centurion’s success was due to a number of factors. First, it was a very well-designed tank. The designers took into account the lessons learned from the Second World War, and they incorporated a number of features that made the Centurion a formidable fighting machine. Second, the Centurion was well-maintained and well-equipped. The British Army took great care of its Centurion tanks, and they were always ready for action. Third, the Centurion was used by a number of different countries. This gave the tank a wide range of experience, and it helped to identify and correct any weaknesses in the design.

The Centurion tank was a major success, and it played a significant role in a number of conflicts. It was a well-designed, well-maintained, and well-equipped tank that was able to withstand the fire of most enemy tanks. The Centurion’s success is a testament to the British Army’s engineering prowess and its ability to learn from the lessons of the past.

More photographs of the RAF Cosford Centurion Tank.

Photographs of the Centurion Tank Mk 3 at Duxford.

Photographs of the Centurion Mk I at Bovington.

Team Yankee Centurion Mk 5 Miniatures Gallery

Centurion Mk 5 Workbench

Centurion Tank Mk 3

A view of a Centurion Mk 3 Tank on a low loader at Duxford.

The Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period.

Production of the Mk 3 began in 1948. The Mk 3 was so much more powerful than the Mk 1 and Mk 2, that the earlier designs were removed from service as soon as new Mk 3s arrived, and the older tanks were then either converted into the Centurion armoured recovery vehicle (ARV) Mark 1 for use by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers or upgraded to Mk 3 standards.

It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades. The chassis was also adapted for several other roles.

Development of the tank began in 1943 and manufacture of the Centurion began in January 1945, six prototypes arriving in Belgium less than a month after the war in Europe ended in May 1945. It first entered combat with British Army in the Korean War in 1950, in support of the UN forces. The Centurion later served in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, where it fought against US-supplied M47 Patton and M48 Patton tanks. It served with the Royal Australian Armoured Corps in Vietnam. Israel used Centurions in the 1967 Six Day War, 1973 Yom Kippur War, and during the 1975 and 1982 invasions of Lebanon. Centurions modified as APCs were used in Gaza, the West Bank and the Lebanese border. South Africa used its Centurions in Angola. The Royal Jordanian Land Force used Centurion tanks, first in 1970 to fend off a Syrian incursion within its borders during the Black September events and later in the Golan Heights in 1973.

It became one of the most widely used tank designs, equipping armies around the world, with some still in service until the 1990s. As recently as the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict the Israel Defense Forces employed heavily modified Centurions as armoured personnel carriers and combat engineering vehicles.